Undergarment.



L. H. CRAWFORD.

UNDERGARMENT. APPLICATION HLED NOW 6.1914.

Patented May 18,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, L. H. CRAWF RD.-

UNDERGARMENT. 7 APPLICATION FIL'IED NOV-6. I914.

1,1,1ge 7 Patented m y 18, 1915,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2w LINDSAY H. GBAWFQBD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINQIS;

UNDERGARMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1915.

Application filed November 6, 1914. Serial No. 870,578.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LINDSAY H. CRAW- FORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Undergarments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will. enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to garments, and with respect to its more specific features, to union garments of underwear.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a practical lined union garment of underwear.

Another object is the provision of an efficient lined union undergarment adapted to be worn next the skin, and which will avoid, in a, great measure, the tight or constricted feeling of such garments attendant upon certain conditions ofwear.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an inexpensive union undergarment of increased warmth giving qualities, and a comfortable feel under adverse conditions of use.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views: Fig. 1 illustrates one form of the inventionin front view, with the front of the garment thrown back to more clearly disclose the invention; Fig. 2 is a rear view of the garment shown inFi'g. 1, the front being closed; Fig. 3 is a view showing the garment on a 'person seated, the garment being partly sectioned for clearer disclosure; and Fig. 4 is a view showing the garment-on a person in a bent or bowed position, and in which the outer body fabric is broken away to show the inner lining. I

Referring now' more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a union suit or union garment which is intended to worn next to the skin. It comprises a ody portion 2, leg portions '3, 3 and arm portions, 4, 4:, which-latter may be of the sleeve form or armlets, as desired. The legs are connected to the body portion, either being formed integrally therewith, or otherwise. ,In the ordinary position of a union garment on the wearer, it extends from the shoulders to the knees or below the knees, and also between the legs. In the posterior of the garment a utility opening is provided,

the lower extremity of the slit is separated from the lower extremity of the front buttoning opening 7 by an intervening portion 8 of the material of the garment, so that the posterior slit is not continuous with the front opening, although the advantages of the invention manifest themselves even though the front and rear openings of the garment are continuous. When the union garment above described is on the person, the portion 8, or the part of the garment adjacent the lower extremity of the slit 7 underlies the trunk of the person. Vhen the. wearer is standing this garment fits the body nicely, and suflicient, looseness of it at the crotch may be provided so that in this position little or no upward pressure at the crotch'of person will result, but when the wearer bends over, and especially forwardly, as when in a sitting position, there is produced a longitudinal tension of the giirment which. is especially marked at the loin and buttock portions of the garment, the fabric stretching somewhat tightly around these parts longitudinally of the body, and also transversely, which results in the garment being drawn longitudinally toward the person at that part between the legs, and undue, uncomfortable and injurious pressure and friction may be produced on these more :itwere, .gripped' between the person and the chair seat, or between the person and the outer clothing, which latter will be tight around the hips and over the buttocks, so

that the extent to which the body portion the 'garment may stretch longitudinally is diminished, as in this situation the full length of the garment'is not unrestrained, the intermediate portion being practically held between the and the person or between the outer clothing and the persoh, so that'the free elongation of only that part above the seat of the chail' is freely available ythereby. In the present embodiment this .inner ply or lining 9 is secured to the body portionfof-"the garment in a loose manner to permit the lining and the body portion to move or fpl'ay relatively to each other, this object being attained, in the present instance, by attaching the lining to the garment at .diii'erent parts, the lining lying .loosely on the garment for a greater portion of its extent between its edges. In the form illustrated, the lining is secured to the garment by a series of stitches on a line. transversely disposed relative to the garment, and also by stitches forming seams longitudinally of the garment. The transversely disposed stitches are preferably comprised in a seam 10, formed at the upper edge of the lining 9 andattaching the lining to the posterior of the body portion, the stitches being somewhat loosely assembled with the material so as'to be capable of extension transversely of the garment. In the preferred form both the body of the garment and the lining are composed of elastic fabric, preferably a knitted fabric, the wales of each of which are disposed longitudinally of the garment, the lining fabric bein}: of finer mesh than that of the body fabric so as to offer a softer touch, and also to permit the body to more readily move longitudinally relatively to the lining.-

l -he extensible seam l0, formedas described, permits the body and the lining, to extend and contract transversely of the garment, the seam referred to not materially interfering ,th these operations. The lining is preferably substantially coextensive with i the circumterence of the garment on the inside from the upper portion of the lining where is located the seam 10 down to the upper extremity 6 of the ptsterior slit 5, the longitudinal sides of the lining being seg cured to the garment adjacent the edges of the front opening 7, as at 11, and being finished oil by binding, as 12. The lining also extends below the upper extremity or" the slit 5, and portions of the lining or ply 9 lie on either side of said slit. The lower edge 13 of the lining lies free upon the inner face of the outer, or garment, fabric, for

a substantial distance transversely of the garment, the free portions in the present embodiment being comprised between the lower ends of the seams 14:, 14 and the edge.

of the front opening, respectively, this lat ter opening extending from the neck of the garment to the part 8 and being provided with buttons and buttonholes, as'usual. In the preferred construction the lining extends downwardly from the transverse seam lOinto the buttock portion of the garmerit and terminates in the lower edge referred to, said lower edge being in substanthe horlzontal plane of the crotch tially region. On the opposite sides of the slit 5 the lining is secured or seamed generally longitudinal-l-y to the edgesof the slit, as-at 14,1-"l,

and the garment fabric at one side of the slit 5 is extended transversely beyond the lining fabric on that side so asito be adapted to overlie the garment fabric on the other side of said slit, forming a flap, as indicated at 15. The opposite side of the slit may also have an extended portion or flap, as indicated at 16. Obviously these flap extensions l5 and 16 may be made integral with the garment fabrie or, as'illustrated, by

pieces seamed thereto on lines identical with the seams i l, 14. Opposite thesht 5, there 1s an opening or slit 1.? 1n the lining, and' in the form illustrated it will be observed that I the lining fabric-on either side of the garment slit 5 is provided by portions of lining lying on either side of the liningslit 17 extending from the lower'edge of the lining, the portion of the lining above the slit 5 be ing preferably continuous both transversely and longitudinally. By thus slitting or dividing the lining, there will be no flap or lining: lying across the posterior slit 5, which flap, if provided, would have to be lifted or otherwise. disposed of when using the posterior slit 5. A- considerable extent of the inner ply. or lining 9, lies loosely upon the garment fabric, in the form illustrated -the lining being connected to the garment fabric mainly at its edges, as at the sides of the front opening and at the edges of the posterior slit, as before described.

The garment is designed to be worn next the skin beneath the outer cloth ng. and

when the person of the wearer is covered with perspiration the lining will at times stick to thepersoinlmt by reason of the looseness thereof relative to the. outer or garment fabric, the latter fabric is permitted to move upwardly or to stretch or elongate longitudinally, notwithstanding the. fact that portions of the lining may adhere to the person of the wearer. When the person I present, the lower portion of the body fab-' is seated, or in a bended posture, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4., the amount of tension on elongation of the garment fabric is measured inversely by the longitudinal extent of that portion of the fabric which is permitted to extend longitudinally, and it will be noted that should the lining be not ric, that is, that portion in the general plane of the longitudinally curved portion of the seated person, as at the buttock portion, as at 18, would stick or adhere to the person 2.1-5. resist elongation, so that most of the elongation would take place in the upper part of the garment fabric, where, by reason -of less degree of curvature-pf the person, the

adherence was not so strong. By providing the lining, however, there is furnished a surface less dense in moisture than the person,

transverse seam, to stretch longitudinally of the garment and pull a portion of the lining with it, even though the remainder of the lining continues to adhere to the person. Thus the effect will be to draw that portion of the lining in a resultant longitudinal direction' of the extension of the body fabric,

the transverse elasticity of the lining fabric.

permitting the lining to extend freely transversely so as to offer material to be drawn by the body portion, even though an adjacent portion of the lining be adhering to the person. Though the lining fabric be seamed to the opposite sides of the posterior slit, as

at 14, 14, the condition of relative movement of the lining fabric and body fabric is still maintained, as the edges of the garment adjacent the slit provide relatively freely movable portions which may "be drawn u wardly or transversely and thus will not e' a substantial restraint t0 the relative movement referred to.

In order to emphasize the special utility of the lining 9, in facilitating the extension of the garment, especially the longitmdinal extension, the lining 9, in Figs. 3 and 43s shown as disposed around the curve of the buttocks up'to the rear end of the-part 8, thereby providing a fullness of'the lining comporting with that of that portion of the garment inclosing the buttocks. It will be seen that the greatest degree of longitudinal curvature of the person is around the buttock ortion, as between the points a and b, and that from the oint a upwardly and the point I) downward y the garment extends in a gentle curve, so that, its tendency to stick to the person above the point a and below the point I) is not so great as that between the points a and b. Hence-below the point I) and above the point a, the garment may elongate more readil than between said points. But the sticking of the garment to the person between the points a and 'b in a great measure confines the elongation of the garment to separate parts, the body portion elongating from the point a upwardly, and

' the leg portion from the point 1) toward the knees. By providing the lining, between the points a and b, a surface is provided which will permit the body portion of the outer fabric to utilize elongation possible in the leg'portions, the outer fabric sliding more readily over the lining than over the damp or Wet skin.

While the invention is disclosed in connection with an inner ply which-terminates below the upper edge of the-garment, it is of course to be understood that the form shown is merely illustrative, and that the utility of the invention is preserved even though the inner ply extend to the upper edge of the garment. For instance, it might extend to the edge of the shoulder insert 21, which latter is of knitted fabric with the wales running transversely of the garment.

'above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative andnot in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention here-.

in described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as'a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having describedmy invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. A union garment of underwear comprising, in combination, a body'portion and leg portions connected thereto, said garment having a posterior opening extending upwardly from the crotch region, and a lining lying loosely on the body portion, extending to approximately the horizontal plane of the crotch region and secured in part to the body portion by an extensible seam disposed transversely of the garment.

2. A union garment of underwear comprising, in combination, a body portion of elastic fabric and leg portions connected thereto, said garment having a posterior opening extending upwardly from the crotch region, and a lining of elastic fabric lying loosely'on the body portion and secured in part thereto by an extensible seam disposed transversely of the garment.

3. A union garment of underwear comprising, in combination, a body portion of elastic ,fabric'and leg portions connected thereto, said garment having a posterior. opening extending upwardly from the crotch region, and a lining of elastic fabric comprising portions lying on the inside of the body portion and secured adjacent opposite sides of said opening, said lining lying loosely on the body portion and secured in part thereto by an extensible seam disposed transversely of the garment.

4. A union garment of underwear comprising, in combination, a body portion of knitted fabric having the wales disposed longitudinally of the garment and leg portions connected to said body portion, said garment having a posterior opening extending upwardly from the crotch region, and a lining of knitted fabric of finer mesh thanthe mesh of the body portion lying on the inside of the body portion and secured thereto at opposite sides of said opening, the wales of the lining fabric being disposed longitudinally of the garment, said lining lying loosely on the body portion and secured in part thereto by an extensible seam permitting both the lining and the body portion to extend and contract transversely of the garment..-

5. A union garment of underwear comprising, in combination, a body portion and leg portions connected thereto, said garment having a posterion slit extending upwardly from the crotch region, and an elastic fabric lining lying on the in side of the body portion and attached thereto by an extensible and contractible seam lying transversely of the garment, said lining lying on the garment below said seam and extending to substantially the horizontal plane of the crotch region and adapted to play on said garment adjacent said seam, the lower transversely disposed edge of said lining unsecured to said garment.

6. A union garment of underwear comprising, .in combination, a knitted fabric body portion and leg portions, said garment having a posterior slit lextending upwardly from the crotch region, the wales of said fabric being disposed longitudinally of the garment, and aknitted fabric lining lying on the inside of the body portion and at opposite sides of said slit, the wales of the lining fabric being disposed longitudinally of the garment, said lining being attached to the body portion by a line of stitches disposed transversely of the body portion, said stitches being so arranged as to permit both the lining and the body portion to extend and contract transversely of the garment.

In testimony whereof I altix my signature, in the presance'of two witnesses.

LINDSAY H. onAwroRn.

"Witnesses JACOB P THoMAs, DAVID L. A'rKrNsoN,

Copies; of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatente,

' Washington, D. O.

being, at places, 

